Mr. Dayton to Mr.
Seward.
[Extracts.]
No. 6.]
Paris,
May 27, 1861.
Sir: Immediately after closing my last despatch
I wrote to Mr. Thouvenel a note apprising him that I was fully
authorized to enter into a convention with the government of France in
respect to privateering, the rights of neutrals, and the matter of
blockade, and requesting him, if disposed to renew negotiations upon
these subjects, to name a day for conference.
My note was not sent until the 25th instant. A copy is attached, marked
letter A.
On the same day, to wit, the 25th of the present month, I sent to Mr.
Thouvenel a copy of the President’s proclamation of the blockade of the
ports of Virginia and North Carolina, referring, at the same time, to
the previous blockade of the other southern ports. A copy of my note is
attached, marked letter C.
On the 24th instant I received from the minister of war a note as to
certain fire-arms for the State of Virginia, applied for by my
predecessor, Mr. Faulkner; a copy of which note, marked D, together with
my answer thereto, marked E, is hereunto attached.
* * * * * *
I recently received from the agent of our Havre line of steamers a
request that I would (by application to the government for munitions of
war) aid him to put the steamer Fulton in a condition of defence on her
homeward voyage; which I did, so far as I could, by presenting his
request to the government. A copy of his request, indorsed by me, is
herewith attached, marked II. I presume the request was granted, as I
have heard nothing since from the agent, and the steamer leaves her port
to-day.
I have just received the despatches, by the last steamer, directed to Mr.
Sanford, to whom I immediately delivered them; and likewise your
circular to me upon the subject of passports, with which I shall
carefully comply.
Mr. Thouvenel has promptly answered my note informing him I was
authorized to enter into a convention as to privateering, &c., and
has designated to-morrow, at 4 p. m., for a conference. In my next
despatch I shall be able, doubtless, to give you some information as to
the views of the French government on this subject. Mr. Marsh has been
here, engaged in doing good service by matter communicated for use
through the English press.
Mr. Burlingame is remaining here for a short time, acting under the
advice of his brother diplomatists, owing to matter confidentially
communicated from Vienna.
With much consideration, your obedient servant,
Hon. Wm. H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
[Page 213]
A.
Sir: I have the honor to inform your
excellency that I am fully authorized by my government to enter into
a convention with the government of France in reference to the
subject of privateering, the rights of neutrals, and the matter of
blockade.
If, therefore, the government of his Imperial Majesty remains
disposed to renew negotiations upon these subjects, I shall be happy
to have a conference with your excellency at such time as your
excellency may indicate.
With great respect, I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Mr. Thouvenel, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
C.
Sir: I beg to enclose to your excellency a
copy of a proclamation issued by the President of the United States
on the 27th of April last, establishing a blockade of the ports of
the States of Virginia and North Carolina.
A prior proclamation, dated 19th April last, established a blockade
of the ports of the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, of which your excellency
has doubtless had notice.
With much respect, I have the honor to be your excellency’s obedient
servant,
Mr. Thouvenel, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
D.
Sir: The 27th September, 1860, your
predecessor having requested me to have the goodness to deliver to
him, from the state arsenal, four fire-arms (4 armes à feu) and two other arms (armes
blanches) for the State of Virginia, I authorized the said
delivery, with the approbation of the Emperor; and the 22d of
October, 1860, I informed Mr. Faulkner that the artillery board of
Paris held these arms at the disposition of the Virginia
commissioners.
Up to this moment there has not been a delivery, and the letters of
the director colonel of artillery, as also my despatch of the 21st
of March last to Mr. Faulkner, remain unanswered.
Interpreting this silence as a renunciation of the request of the
State of Virginia, I have the honor to inform you that, unless you
intimate a desire to the contrary in the course of a few days, I
shall order the director of artillery at Paris to consider the
authorization of the 22d of October, 1860, as null.
Accept, sir, the assurance of the most distinguished consideration
with which I have the honor to be your very humble and very obedient
servant,
RANDON
,
Le Marechal de
France, Ministre Secretaire d’etat de la Guerre.
[Page 214]
E.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge your
letter of the 24th instant, calling my attention to the fact that my
predecessor, on the 21th of September last, requested you to have
the goodness to deliver to him, from the government arsenal, four
fire-arms (4 armes à feu) and two other arras
(armes blanches) for the State of
Virginia, and that you authorized the said delivery, with the
approbation of the Emperor, on the 22d of October, 1860; and that
you informed Mr. Faulkner that the artillery board of Paris held
those arms at the disposition of the Virginia delegates; that up to
the date of your note to me the letter from the colonel of the
artillery staff and your own despatches of the 21st of March last,
addressed to Mr. Faulkner, have remained unanswered, &c.
I beg to say to your excellency that I am altogether ignorant of the
causes of delay on the part of my predecessor in answering the
communications referred to, and asking for the delivery of the arms
in question.
I pray you, sir, to accept for yourself, and convey to the Emperor,
my grateful acknowledgments, in behalf of the United States, for the
courtesy extended in the expression of a readiness to grant the
request of my predecessor; while I deem it proper to say at once
that the request for the arms referred to will not, under existing
circumstances, be renewed by me in behalf of
the State of Virginia.
I beg to assure you, sir, of the high consideration with which I have
the honor to be your obedient servant,
Mons. le Marechal Comte Randon,
Minister de la Guerre.
H.
Excellency: The necessity which exists for
arming our steamer, the Fulton, against any attack of the privateers
of the southern confederacy obliges Captain Walton to provide
himself with two hundred rifles. These guns,
which we have purchased at Leige, (Belgium,) will be delivered
to-day or to-morrow at Havre.
But we have no cartridges for these guns, and are obliged to buy them
in France, and cannot obtain them without an authorization from the
minister of war. We are thus obliged to appeal to you, to beg your
powerful influence in obtaining the necessary munitions.
We desire that the French government furnish us, delivered on board
the steamer Fulton, at Havre, twenty thousand
cartouches for hunting rifles, of the calibre 17 8/10 for
the muzzle of the guns. Either our house, at Paris, or that of
Messrs. W. Selim & Co., at Havre, will pay the bills.
The steamer Fulton will quit Havre Tuesday morning, 28th instant, and
it will be necessary that the munition should be delivered
Monday.
We pray your excellency to accept, in entram,
the expression of the profound gratitude and our distinguished
consideration of your excellency’s most obedient servants,
SHELBERT, KANE & CO.,
8 Place de la
Bourse.
His Excellency Mr. Dayton,
Minister of the United States of America,
Paris.
